


These Moments Go Ugly And Get Undone

by brokenhighways



Series: The Thrill [7]
Category: Hit the Floor (TV)
Genre: M/M, Murder, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 00:55:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14249589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenhighways/pseuds/brokenhighways
Summary: Things are finally looking up for Zero and Jude. The team are still in contention for the playoffs, Jelena is back in her cave and their relationship is stronger than ever. Naturally, they go and get caught up in a murder investigation.





	These Moments Go Ugly And Get Undone

**Author's Note:**

> FOUR MONTHS LATER. Sorry for the long wait. If you're just checking in - welcome, I hope you enjoy my sort-of-AU!
> 
> Anyway, I think I'm approaching extremely levels of ridiculous plot with this one but, I figured that my take on things can't be any worse than the show's, LOL. 
> 
> This is unbeta'd so apologies for any mistakes! <3

-I-

Derek is in the middle of one of his boring team speeches when Zero catches Jude passing by. Without bothering to even pretend that he's listening, he mumbles something about the bathroom and leaves the court. They're two days away from the biggest game of the season and the less Zero thinks about that, the better he'll play. Derek's little pep talk can wait. Forever.

“Shouldn't you be at practise?” Jude says when he catches Zero standing the doorway of his office. “I have a ton of paperwork to do.”

Zero steps inside and uses his foot to kick the door shut. “Nope, you have a  _ boyfriend _ to do.”

Jude doesn't respond, just raises an eyebrow and Zero has to concede that it wasn't his best line. 

“How are you doing anyway?” 

It's not that he thinks Jude can't handle the pressure of being the half of a prominent couple, it's that he hates that Jude has to deal with it at all. 

“The janitor asked me for a selfie by a urinal, so I'm awesome.” 

Sarcasm is never a good sign. 

“And the  _ real _ answer?”

Jude points at the stack of paper on his desk. “I have this to get through. Half of the medical team are raging douchebags and I keep on getting stopped every five minutes to answer questions about you. I'm fucking irritated.”

Zero steps in closer and drops into the chair across from Jude's. He lets the silence drag on for a second before he speaks.

“I'm sorry about all of that.”

Jude eyes him warily before his shoulders slump. “It's not your fault, Gideon. It's just life and I can always look for another job somewhere else, right?”

Zero nods. “If you want to. Just do what you have to do to be okay.”

-II-

The day before the game, Zero takes Laura out to dinner to thank her for her hard work as his manager. At least that's the reason he gave her. 

“So, why am I really here?” Laura asks two minutes after she sits down. 

Zero narrows his eyes at her. “Am I that obvious?”

Laura shrugs. “I  _ am  _ your sister. I've been around you long enough to know your quirks.”

Zero doesn't argue. “It's Jude. I need some kind of way to ease the pressure on him. All of the glitz and glamour is more  _ my  _ thing than his. I don't really know how to do what's best for both of us.”

Laura perks up at the mention of Jude. “Ah, finally. Look, the easy solution is to excuse him from attending all of the parties, launches and what not. Go solo and deal with the speculation. Or you compromise. Agree to let him skip most of them but see if he's willing to make the occasional appearance. Maybe whatever is happening at the Playground.”

Zero rolls his eyes. “ _ Everything  _ happens at the Playground. It's like no one has realised that we're in L.A. The City of Angels. Land of Dreams. Home to more than one venue.”

“Money talks, brother,” Laura says. “Anyway, are you sure that's all that's up with Jude?”

The thing is that he's not, it's just that the alternative is worse. He's been keeping what he knows about Oscar to himself and it's slowly eating away at him. Zero's always been the kind of person who prides himself on not getting caught up with things like guilt or shame, so it's not an easy time for him at the moment. 

“I think he might know. About Oscar.”

Laura raises an eyebrow. “How? I haven't heard a peep about it since I told you?”

Zero bites at his lip and looks away. “He came up when we were talking, remember? And he's been acting weird since then.”

“Shit.”

“What do I do?”

Laura snorts, “Dude, I am not the person to ask. My last boyfriend actually took pride in his lies.”

Zero rolls his eyes and exhales quietly. He wonders if it's too late to just order their food to go. 

-III-

Zero decides to come clean, so to speak. It's not like Jude isn't talking to him, there's just a weird vibe and he's finally reached breaking point. 

“Can we talk?” he asks, just before they're about to head to sleep.

Jude’s in loose grey sweatpants and a dark t-shirt and it's taking a lot for Zero to maintain his composure enough to just  _ talk.  _ There are more enjoyable things they could be doing.

Jude turns to look back at him. “By talk to you mean  _ talking  _ or that thing you do where I say something and you stick your hands down my pants.”

Zero flops down onto the bed and shuffles backward so that he's leaning against the headboard. 

“Like that's not a  _ good  _ thing.”

It feels like a victory when Jude cracks a smile. 

“Look, there's no easy way to say this, but you're angry with me, right? It's not the paparazzi or the fans, it's  _ me _ .”

“Why would I be angry with you?” Jude's face is deliberately passive when he perches on the end of the bed. 

Distance  _ and  _ indifference? He  _ definitely  _ overheard that conversation on New Year's. 

“You're going to make me say it, aren't you?” Zero says. “You heard what Laura told me about Oscar.”

Initially, Jude seems surprised, but it quickly morphia into annoyance. “You’re right. I did hear. And it only took you three weeks to say something. You realize that it took you  _ less  _ time to try to get me into bed.”

“Having sex genuinely comes easier to me than telling the truth, so... That's not unusual.”

Jude shakes his head. “Don't turn this into a joke, Zero. We're supposed to be honest, but lately it's like I can't trust you.”

Whoa. 

Fair enough, Zero did keep something pretty major from Jude, but there's no need to act like he's some untrustworthy person all of a sudden.

“I'm sorry that I didn't tell you.”

The apology sounds lame even to him, but he's not good at this. Putting sincerity into words. 

“It's not just this. Your mother being in town, everything with that, and a whole bunch of other shit that appears every other day.”

Zero scoffs, because what exactly does Jude want - a customised, annotated encyclopedia of his life? 

“I' don't really know what you want me to say.” He's truly at a loss for words. Usually, this would be the point where he initiates some hasty make up sex but Jude is giving off some serious  _ don't touch me  _ vibes. 

Jude shifts further away and for the first time, Zero is regretting his decision to buy a super king sized bed. It's kind of hard to have a nice conversation when Jude's practically on the other side of the room. 

“Oscar is my  _ father  _ and even though I'm not on the best terms with him, you had no right to keep it from me,” Jude adds. 

Zero rolls his eyes because he's apologized. What else is he supposed to do? He was trying to protect Jude not deceive him. Is that really so bad?

“You're right,” he says patiently before dialling the conversation back to what Jude said before. “However, my mom is off limits. I didn't tell you about her because I didn't want to. And I'm not going to be emotionally blackmailed into spilling my secrets or reliving the nightmare that is my relationship with my mother. If you have a problem with that, I can't help you.”

Jude looks like he wants to argue, but he doesn't say anything. 

Apparently the conversation is over. 

-IV-

The best thing about being a celebrity slash superstar basketball player is that Zero gets a bunch of free stuff. Sure, he's meant to be an ambassador for these brands, but he's mostly interested in the freebies. Why waste his hard earned money when he can get what he wants for  _ nothing _ ? Clothes, cologne, jewellery, cars - the finer things in life.

That expectation might explain why he's puzzled to find himself at a televised  _ baking _ class. Apparently, he's the new face of a line of  _ baking equipment.  _ Considering that he's never baked a thing in his life, there's something wrong with this picture. 

“You mind telling me why the hell I'm here?” Zero hisses at Laura before they're due to start filming. “Are they paying me millions?”

Laura folds her arms and smirks. “Try twenty-five grand.”

Zero blinks at her. 

He woke up at five am to drive down to this shoot and he's only getting twenty five grand? 

He  _ must _ be mishearing her. 

“Why would you agree to this?”

Clive looks up from where he's been sampling the samples. “You remember that time you gave us the day off? And then twenty minutes into that day, you called us because you couldn't find your Louis Vuitton carry on bag? Oh, and then you really wanted a soy latte and a p”

Zero grimaces. 

That wasn't his finest moment. 

“This is a bit of an overreaction don't you think?” he asks them. 

Laura snorts dryly. “Zero, I love you but you're a horrible boss. If we weren't related, I'd probably spike your OJ with laxatives, steal a substantial amount of money and skip town.”

Both Clive and Zero turn to look at her with raised eyebrows, but there's a series of loud notification sounds before she can say more. 

_ Tragedy strikes! Olivia Vincent, wife of former L.A. Devils captain, Chase Vincent, and former director of the famed Devil Girls, was found dead at their home early this morning…. _

The three of them look up from their phones in tandem. Laura's face is passive but Clive just looks confused. 

“Who the heck is Olivia?”

Laura rolls her eyes. “She's the director of the dancers. She's also married to Chase Vincent. Y’know, the biggest damn star ever to play for the Devils.”

Clive doesn't look anymore clued in but he nods all the same. “If anyone asks you for a comment, say nothing. We don't need anything to hurt your brand.”

“My brand?” Zero asks. “I'm wearing an apron and I'm about to bake  _ rainbow  _ cookies.”

Idly he wonders if it's bad that neither of them seem to cut up over Olivia's death, but Clive wasn't wrong. They don't really know her. Or they didn't. 

“Yeah, and that'll appeal to a demographic that has probably never been that interested in you. That, in turn, will make the equipment line more successful and you'll get even more money. Even though this is technically revenge, you're the winner here. Lonely rich housewives  _ love  _ a reformed bad boy.”

Zero just stares at Clive after he tunes back in. 

“What?” he says defensively. “I worked in marketing for ten years.”

Zero wants to call bullshit on that but it's not like he did his did diligence when he hired Clive - it might actually be the  _ true.  _

Laura's eyes widen. “Why on earth are you driving this idiot around when you obviously know your stuff?”

“Hey!” Zero protests, but she waves him off with a dismissive hand. 

Clive shrugs and fidgets uncomfortably. “The pay is better.”

-V-

Jude isn't happy when Zero gets back home. Zero can tell because it takes twenty minutes of silent treatment before Jude says a word and even then it's more of a grunt. 

For some reason, he's worried about how Olivia's death affects  _ them _ . 

“We didn't even know Olivia that well,” Zero points out. He's not going to pretend that he's cut up over her death. Social media is going crazy with conspiracy theories, but he's not even sure how she died. 

“We didn't... Someone pushed her over a stair railing. In her own house.”

Zero swallows hard. Well, that explains how she died and it's fucked up, whether he knew her or not. 

“You think Oscar has something to do with this?”

Olivia  _ did  _ work for Oscar and everyone knows that it doesn't take much to end up in the crosshairs of the man's wrath. 

“If he is being investigated over Mia's death, then this doesn't look good for him,” Jude says. “That's  _ two _ dead people linked to the Devils organisation.”

Zero hates to do this, but---”Mia…?”

Jude rolls his eyes with exasperation. “The dancer they fished out of the river.”

Zero snaps his fingers together. “Got it. Mia and Olivia.” 

Jude shakes his head. “What are we going to do if they arrest Oscar?”

Zero eyes Jude carefully. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. At all. He's not our problem.”

Jude doesn't meet his eye. 

“If they take him away and you try to help him, I'm not going to have your back.”

That might sound harsh, but Zero knows from experience that a shitty parent will take every inch given to them. He's already got his trainwreck of a mother to deal with, he's not going to add Oscar to his plate. Especially when he's caused Jude so much pain and suffering already. 

“Oh, wow, there was me thinking that a boyfriend was supposed to be supportive.”

“Over your potentially murdering father? I don't think so. And if you know what's good for you, you'll keep away from him too. He doesn't deserve your support, Jude.”

-VI-

The baking equipment line is a huge success and, in what is a sad state of society, overshadows the news of Olivia's death. Sure, it's mostly down to people mocking him, photoshopping his face onto Betty Crocker products and creating memes, but, publicity is publicity. Zero books spot on Good Morning LA to promote the line. 

He's getting touched up in make up when finds himself wondering how his life has come to this - pretending to know what the fuck one does with a spatula. 

Fortunately for him, the hosts gloss through the products and only ask the odd question before they make him answer a bunch of annoying fan questions, and show 'the people at home’ his washboard abs. 

_ Unfortunately _ for him, they move on to the news about Olivia. 

“Zero, there was some sad news regarding the dance director. How's everyone coping?” The host's concern is about as genuine as her suspiciously tight forehead, but he's on live TV. He has to answer the question.

“Well, it's a few days before the playoffs begin so we're kind of all over the place. Obviously, everyone is saddened by what's happened.”

The host nods and angles in closer. “You were close to Olivia, weren't you?”

“I was?” Zero coughs and quickly adds, “I was, yes. We're all one big, happy family who know each other just because we work for the same organisation. Olivia was great. It was a shame that she decided to part ways with us last season.”

The host’s smile falters briefly, but she flips her cue cards and asks another question. “When you first joined the team, it was rumoured that you and Olivia had a dalliance. This, of course, was when she and her husband were on a break.”

Zero grimaces; there goes his monthly golf games with Chase Vincent. 

“That's not true at all. Olivia and I were acquaintances at best. I'm not sure where this information is coming from.”

The host smiles again, and he knows that she's only too happy to stir the pot. “Jelena Howard gave a refreshingly honest interview to E! shortly after the news broke.”

Zero does his best to remain passive but inside he's seething. After all of the demographic boosting stuff that Clive was talking about, this is only going to make him look bad. 

“Jelena is either still bitter that things didn't work out between us or mistaken,” Zero says, giving the host a tight smile. “I barely knew Olivia and quite frankly, I have far too much respect for Chase to do something like that. I consider him a friend and salacious and  _ malicious _ gossip aside, we should remember that the man has just lost his wife. He doesn't need to be dragged into childish gossip.”

The host is practically swooning when Zero is done. 

“Well, you've convinced me! Let's just hope that everyone at home pays no mind to these nasty rumours!”

He stifles a smile; sometimes it's just  _ too _ easy. 

-VII-

“You slept with Olivia.” 

That's Jude's deadpan response when Zero reaches his dressing room backstage. He still has a baking segment to shoot on but he's got an hour break. Apparently morning shows go on forever in this town, leaving him time to deal with an angry boyfriend. 

Zero could handle this one of two ways. He could reassure Jude he's mistaken and tell him that  _ Jelena _ is trying to smear his name. Or he could feel aggrieved that Jude is accusing him without asking. 

He chooses option three. “I told Laura that you didn't need to be here for this.”

Jude blinks slowly. “I don't have any appointments this early in the morning so, I thought I'd show up to support you. Guess I shouldn't bother next time.”

Zero's never understood that. Spouses and significant others turning up at promotional events to show  _ support.  _ It's like him attending one of Jude's boring medical conferences - pointless and unnecessary. 

Needless to say, he digs himself into a bigger hole. “You could have just chilled at home. Catch the show on TV.” 

Jude rolls his eyes. “So, judging by your reaction, you're not at all bothered by what just happened on air?”

Zero would never admit it even if he was.

“I'm freaking media gold dust right now. All I need to is tweet a picture of rainbow cookies and everyone loves me again. It's bullshit and I'm going to treat it as such. Besides, why would I sleep with married women? Do I look like I want to end up with a Lifetime movie based on my murder?”

“Is this your way of denying that you slept with Olivia?”

Zero catches sight of Laura heading towards his dressing room before he pushes past Jude and says, “That's my way of saying fuck you for not  _ asking. _ ”

-VIII-

Chase Vincent has got a mean left hook.

Zero learns that the hard way in the middle of a nightclub launch he's being paid to host.

To back up a little, Jude's not here because they're not talking. 

Laura's not here because she's angry with Zero for fighting with Jude and Clive  _ is _ here for the free drinks. 

The news about Olivia's death has been dominating the headlines, but right now, all everyone is talking about  _ Zolivia _ . 

Zero's got to say, he's disturbed that someone came up with a portmanteau when there's a  _ dead  _ woman involved. 

So when Chase rocks up to him at the club and punches him in the face, he doesn't even duck. It's what the deserves for being caught up in a, quite frankly, disgraceful display of tactlessness. 

That being said, he blocks Chase’s follow up punch and hisses, “Hey, man, I didn't sleep with your wife, okay? Someone leaked a rumour to the press and they ran with it. It's not true.”

Chase regards him carefully for a moment before he backs and drops his hands. After taking time to flatten his creased suit, he nods. 

“I believe you.”

It's only then Zero becomes aware of the hundreds of cellphones that just captured the scene. 

-IV-

Jude is a terrible patient but he's an even worse mother hen. The fact that he's trying to get back into Zero's good books just makes it worse.

“If you touch me with that bag of frozen peas again, I'm going to throw it out of the window.”

Jude frowns at him, but he backs off. “You really want to end up with a huge shiner tomorrow?” 

Zero nods enthusiastically and regrets it immediately when a fresh wave of pain assaults him. “Yeah. I do. I need people to be on  _ my  _ side.”

“I'm on your side.” Jude's voice is soothing balm over the rush of anxiety

running through Zero but, he's not going to let that show. Not when they're not on good terms. 

“You thought that I slept with her.”

Jude laughs bitterly and looks away. “Do you even read half of what they post about you online?”

Zero leans back in his seat, shrugging slowly when Jude turns back towards him. “I don't read any of it. I skim through the headlines and that kid who's interning for me emails me a list of the important parts.”

Jude's eyebrow shoot up. “You have an intern?”

“Intern. Pool girl. What's in a job title?”

Jude laughs then, eyes crinkling at the corners and his mouth curling up all pretty. 

Zero's supposed to be mad at him but he's a sucker for love; for  _ Jude.  _

He doesn't want to fight anymore. 

“I know that I have a reputation,” he starts slowly. “But I'm not a  _ complete _ asshole. Plus, Chase Vincent is a  _ legend.  _ He's automatically covered by bro code. Every single female member of his family is off limits. 

“Hm, I like that.” 

An unfamiliar voice sounds and Zero looks up to see Laura and a woman he doesn't recognise standing in the middle of his kitchen. 

“And you are?” Zero asks, not in the mood for pleasantries.

“Your new publicist,” the woman says.  Mieke Brown.” 

Laura nudges her forward and says, “She used to represent Lebron before he went back to Cleveland.”

Mieke raises an eyebrow. “Actually, it's been more MLB players than anything else.”

Zero rolls his eyes. “Fuck baseball.”

Laura shakes her head and folds her arms, lips curling with annoyance. “Here we go.”

“It's one hundred and sixty two games of never ending  _ torture _ ,” Zero says. “They go on and on. Oh, and don't even get me started on the uniforms. Seriously. Fuck baseball.”

Laura turns to Mieke. “ _ This  _ is why I told you to say that you worked for Lebron.”

Mieke looks like she wants to run away, but instead she smooths down her skirt and says, “Grace was right about you. You  _ are  _ crazy.”

“You know Grace?” Jude asks. “Derek's cousin and Zero's agent  _ Grace _ ?”

Mieke shrugs. “I used to date Derek, so, yeah. I know her.”

“Oh, this is good,” Zero says, not bothering to conceal his sarcasm. “A publicist and an agent who have a conflict of interest. Awesome.”

Mieke shoots him a withering look. “I'm here because your sister  _ begged  _ me. Have you forgotten you just got punched in the face over an alleged affair with a dead woman?”

Zero feels his eyes widen. “Affair? One minute I slept with her and now it's a full blown affair. Seriously?”

Jude leans in close and rubs his shoulder soothingly. “News travels fast.” 

Mieke retrieves her iPad from her purse and starts tapping the screen. “It says here that you and Olivia were  _ close _ . You had candlelit dinners and his and her massages. Oh, and that you skinny dipped in a fountain. It's all very specific which makes you look bad.”

Skinny dipped? 

Zero doesn't even remember the last time that he-- _ shit _ . 

“Jelena,” Jude says before Zero can say anything

. “This is her. I remember you telling me about that and how your d---”

Zero cuts him off before he manages to lose  _ all of  _ his dignity. 

”---you don't need to finish that sentence.”

Mieke looks between them warily before requesting a glass of water. 

Laura gets it reluctantly all while muttering about how Zero had the temerity to give his intern a night off. He ignores her because, unlike Sonja from the  _ Real Housewives of New York _ , he knows the value in being a good employer.

Mieke takes two sips of water before she abandons it on the counter. “I have to admit that working for you will be really good for my career if I can spin this, however, part of me wants no part of this mess. Somebody  _ murdered  _ this woman and you don't seem very moved by it.”

Zero throws his hands up. “I didn't  _ know _ her. That's what I keep telling people.”

“Stop telling them that,” Mieke says, her tone sharp and low. “You need to display empathy. Not smiling on TV and promoting a line of baking equipment. Whose smart idea was that?”

Zero shrugs. “Grace said it was cool.”

“She would. You're her first major client. You are also smart enough to know that you have no business aiming for that demographic. When she said it was cool, you're supposed to protest because it's a line of  _ baking equipment  _ and you're not Martha Stewart.”

“Anything else?” Zero quips, barely concealing an eye roll. 

Mieke narrows her eyes and stares at him, her glare hard and cold. “Honey, I'm just getting started.”

Zero exhales quietly. 

It's going to be a long night. 

-X-

Zero has always been a natural born flirt. He can't help it. If someone catches his eye, he'll let them know. Back when he was perpetually single, it wasn't a problem.

Now? 

It's a pretty big problem. 

He has a long-term boyfriend that he loves very much. Two minutes of ego-boosting isn't worth screwing it all up. 

Laura is, as always, far too observant for her own good.

“You know when we hired Mieke it was for your own good, not for you to sabotage your relationship.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Zero retorts, deciding to play innocent. 

She raises an eyebrow. “There's  _ tension  _ between you and Mieke _. _ ”

“ _ Professional _ tension.”

“Oh is that what we're calling it?” Laura snaps, before she reaches over and smacks him on the arm. _Hard. “_ Don't be an idiot.”

~

Zero doesn't really grasp what Laura is saying until he finds himself preparing for an interview. Mieke is there feeding him answers while Grace makes a series of phone calls. 

“So,” he says slowly. “How did you get into the world of public relations?”

What? He's just curious.

Mieke rolls her eyes, but she answers. “I did a business and marketing degree, got a Masters in Communications and now I'm a PR consultant slash publicist. Let's just say I have a talent for telling people where they're going wrong.”

Zero grins at her. “Oh, is that your way of saying you're good busting people's balls?”

“No, just  _ yours _ . This cocky arrogant persona only gets you so far. You're not very well liked on social media at the moment.”

“Like I care.” Zero fiddles with the pen his his hands, flipping it over and over so that he doesn't have to look at her

“Obviously you do. Case in point, I'm not bending over backwards to kiss your ass so now you're trying to charm me.”

Zero clears his throat and leans back in his chair, looking up at her before he says, “You don't know anything about me.”

Mieke eyes him warily. “You're an egotistical, narcissistic, shallow pretty boy that so happens to be a professional basketball player. I'm not sure that there's more to know.”

“You shouldn't be so quick to assume that you know me,” Zero tells her, smiling as she shakes her head and snorts. “I might just surprise you.”

There's a half smile on Mieke's face but all she says is, “We'll see.”

Grace is giving him a blank look when Zero realises that she's still there, and she hangs back when they're told to make their way to the set. 

“What the hell are you doing?” she hisses. “You are supposed to be happily loved up with Jude. Mieke is not worth ruining that for.”

Zero doesn't know what to say to that. 

-XI-

Zero's never had a problem with people not liking him, but Mieke’s open disdain irks him. Even Grace has warmed to him of late and the first few months with her were  _ awkward.  _

He finally decides to open up to Jude. Grace and Laura seem to think that he's attracted to her, but they don't understand him the way Jude does. 

“I just can't get a read on her.”

Jude sets down the file he'd been leafing through, before he stands and approaches Zero.

He looks Zero in the eye and asks, “Do you  _ like _ her?”

“What?” Zero splutters. “No. Jude, I'm with you.”

“And you've spent the last half an hour talking about another woman.”

Jude doesn't seem angry, but Zero knows that he needs to explain himself properly if he doesn't want to leave Jude's office on a bad note.

“I guess I'm used to charming people, especially the ladies,” Zero says. “Not that I'm trying to charm her, I just. I don't know.”

He doesn't want to admit what this is really about. Mieke is one thing, but the fact that he's been taking hits in the media for well over a year now is starting to get to him. Before when it played into his bad boy image it was okay, but now, he's tired. He doesn't want to be Bad Boy Zero anymore, he just wants to be  _ Gideon.  _

“You saw all of the hate online didn't you?” Jude says, because somehow he knows.

He always does. 

“Those people don't matter,” Zero states firmly. “They  _ shouldn't  _ matter.”

Jude inches closer towards him and rests a hand on his arm. “I know that you had a hard time growing up and that your foster parents weren't the most supportive and your mom... Well, the point is that you don't need to act like you're okay with it.”

Zero leans into the touch and exhales messily, releasing a breath he didn't realise

realise he was holding. “I just feel for Olivia and Chase. Getting dragged into Jelena's childish vendetta against me and it being so successful because of my past. It's fucked up and I wish I could do something about it.”

Jude tilts his head in contemplation. “There might be something you can do. The funeral is tomorrow and they still need speakers according to Sloane Hayes.”

Zero pulls away and raises an eyebrow. “Do we really want Chase Vincent to give me another black eye?”

Jude eyes the prominent bruise and frowns before he says, “Ask Mieke to help you write something good and even  _ he _ will be eating out of your palm.”

Zero could ask her, but he doesn't want a shiny speech that's perfect. He wants something that sounds like he actually came up with it. 

“I don't want her help,” Zero says into the silence. “You can help me. I...I miss you. I know that sounds weird because we live together but lately it feels like we don't have time to just  _ be _ together.”

Zero ignores the voice that adds  _ hence why I don't usually do relationships  _ because he's beyond that now. There's no way he'd give Jude up without a fight. 

“Yeah, I can help you,” Jude replies softly. “And I've been here all along. I'm not going anywhere.”

-XII-

Laura holds up a short black dress against her frame. “What about this one?”

Zero eyes her warily. “It's a funeral not party. Besides, you're coming.”

Zero barely wants to go himself, so he's not sure why she's so keen.  

“Are you kidding? Like I'd miss the drama.”

“You're not coming. And that's final.”

Laura rolls her eyes and tosses the dress on one of the arm chairs. “What's up with you?”

Zero shrugs. “I'm just tired. I can't wait for all of this to be over.”

Laura nods. “Me neither.”

~

It's been well over ten years since Zero's been to a funeral, and after being in the church for ten minutes, he remembers why. They're dismal affairs; the black, the long winded eulogies, the crying. He can't stand it. He feels on edge all throughout the service. 

By the time it comes to his speech, he wants to run away. 

However, being maligned in public won't end unless he actually shows people that he's a good person at heart. 

Once Chase is done with his eulogy, Sloane beckons Zero over to the altar and he stops in front of the mic. He wastes a few seconds readjusting it before he clears his throat. 

“I had this whole speech planned - you know damage control. However, Olivia Vincent was a person; a human being like you and I. I'm not going to stand here and read some words that mean nothing. She was someone's wife, sister, family. I didn't know her very well  _ or  _ have an affair with her, but that's not important. What matters is that she was an honoured member of the Devils franchise. She dedicated her life to this team and that's her legacy. 

“Not the disrespect that the media have shown her and her family. In this current age of empowerment, I find it sad that we're focusing on idle gossip instead of her achievements. That's not a good sign for the future. I, for one, hope that changes today. Olivia was strong, courageous and she will be missed by all of us here at the team.”

To his surprise, he gets a round of applause.

~

Zero's sniffing a mini tuna sandwich when Mieke catches up with him. Jude is talking to Lionel and Chase, so he can't pretend to be deep in conversation. 

“Nice speech.”

Zero rolls his eyes. “...  _ but _ ?”

Mieke gives him a rueful smile. “It clearly wasn't  _ spontaneous _ . You didn't stutter, pause or even seem like you were thinking about what you were saying. It was all rather polished.”

She's not wrong but the observation makes Zero feel a spike of anger like a dagger to his chest. 

“If you despise me so much, why did you take this job?” 

The question is somewhat abrupt, but he has to ask. It's not that he needs people to kiss his ass, it’s just the polite thing to do when he's paying someone thousands of dollars. 

Mieke raises an eyebrow and sips her glass of wine carefully. “I don't need to like you to be good at my job.”

“Oh, gee, thanks for the insight, Lt. Kaffee,” Zero snaps, muttering under his breath angrily. 

“It's fitting that you'd quote that,” Mieke says with a small smile. “Apparently you can't handle the truth.’

Zero can't complain because he walked right into that one.

Still, he doesn't intend on putting up with her condescending attitude anymore. 

“Look, I need the people around me to be Team Zero. That's how I know that I can trust them.”

Mieke shakes her head. “No, you need a bunch of people around you to feed your ego. Yes men. That's fine. My job is to make you look good. I can't do that if I'm pretending that you shit rainbows and candy.”

“You can be  _ nice _ ,” Zero practically whines. “That costs nothing.”

“Liking the client generally leads to messy situations. I'm not here to be your  _ friend _ . Either you deal with that or you fire me right now.”

Zero contemplates this briefly. Considering the mess he's in, he needs all the help he can get. 

“I'm not going to fire you.”

Mieke nods. “Good. Oh, and just because I'm not rushing to braid your hair, it doesn't mean that I despise you.”

With that, she saunters away, leaving him no time to ask her what the hell that means. 

Jude appears immediately after and hands him a drink. “You look like you need this.”

Zero drains it in one go and wipes at his mouth. “Let's get out of here.”

~

They end up on a hillside, overlooking the city. They're sitting in Jude's dark Porsche, with the whistle of the wind for company. It's been a crazy couple of days and Zero needs time to recharge. There's a game in a few days and he's barely prepared for it. 

Instead all he can think is that life is too short. 

“Thanks for sticking by me through all of this,” he tells Jude. “I know that it's not easy. I'm not easy.”

Jude snorts. “I beg to differ.”

Zero cracks a nervous smile. 

“What I'm trying to say is that, I'm in this for the long haul. You know, our own house together, marriage and...other stuff.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small jewellery box. 

Jude stares at him. “I thought you didn't believe in marriage.”

Zero rolls his eyes. “I don't, but...I know it's what you want. And all I want is for you to be happy. With me.”

Jude’s face morphs into an eventual grin. “It's a good thing that I'm not the kind of guy who requires a perfect proposal, but yes. Yes, I'll marry you. Or long haul you because it's not entirely clear what you're asking.”

Zero laughs, grimacing when it comes out breathily. 

He's not sure what he's asking either. 

“We're not engaged, we're like, pre-engaged,” Zero clarifies. The last thing he wants us for this to turn into another thing that they don't talk about.

Jude chuckles softly. “Is that what we're calling it?”

Zero doesn't answer, but he shrugs. This is a big deal for him and it's overwhelming. To feel so much and not have a clue how to handle it. 

“You know, you looked really good up there giving that speech.”

Jude’s voice is husky and low and he's leaning in closely.

Zero doesn't follow suit; this is Jude's show, and he's just a very willing participant. He's usually the one to initiate,  _ always  _ the one who wants to be intimate whether it's appropriate or not.

“Did I?” There's the faint sound of traffic below them and the cool breeze fans his face, but all he can see is Jude. 

Jude shifts and pushes him back so that he's lying on the mossy green grass. He straddles Zero's frame seconds later, before leaning down to initiate a kiss. It's fast and dirty; tongues clashing violently as they start to rut against each other. 

“You really want to do this here?” Zero asks, his voice coming out in messy breaths. “We can go to the car.”

Jude pulls back long enough to undo Zero's zipper. 

He stops asking questions after that. 

  
  


-XIII-

Zero's Olivia scandal loses steam after the media hone in one some asshole baseball player who's caught hitting his girlfriend on camera. 

Zero turns his attention back to the huge game that they have coming up. Practise goes well and he's feeling good. Pumped up. Ready to win.

Unfortunately, it doesn't last long. 

“Zero, I want you to do an extra practise session,” Pete says at the end of morning practise. “Everyone else is free to go.”

“Why?” Sure, he's paid millions to be at the teams beck and call but right now he just wants to nap and watch  _ The Killing _ on Netflix.

Pete scowls at him. “You've been distracted lately. That was quite a show you put on at Olivia's funeral.”

Derek steps forward and interjects, “No offense coach, but that has nothing to do with the game. You said it yourself. No media distractions.”

Zero adds: “They didn't exactly have a whole host of people who wanted to say anything. I heard that you turned them down. Weren't you and Chase best friends?”

Pete shakes his head bitterly, but it's obvious that he knows that Zero's got him there.

“I'm going to tell German to expect you back here at two. Derek, you can join him if you want to argue?”

Derek scoffs but he remains silent. Pete tosses his clipboard aside and walks off the court. 

Derek turns to face Zero and smiles; it's the usual arrogant grin that makes him so punchable. “You know, for a second I thought that Jude had calmed you down. Can you just stay out of trouble while we go through the playoffs? Please?”

Zero shrugs. “Whatever.”

He turns to leave, but Derek steps into his path. 

“I hear that Mieke Brown is your new publicist. Nice girl. When she wants to be.”

There's a strained smile on Derek's face. Mieke hasn't said much about Derek, but it's looking like what they had wasn't some meaningless fling like he'd assumed. 

Zero snorts. “She's also smart enough not to put up with you. What did you do? Cheat on her or scare her away with one of your coke binges?”

Derek steps back and laughs darkly. “You're obviously upset so I'm not going to take a swing at you, but talk to me like that again and we're going to have a problem.”

This time he lets Zero leave. 

~

German is a cool guy. When Pete appointed him assistant coach, Zero had led the first round of mocking and insults that flew around in the locking room. There was no harm meant by it, but for some reason he feels bad. 

Zero's not really had much one on one time with him, but by the time he's done practising he barely remembers that it was a punishment. German has good tactical awareness, fresh ideas  _ and  _ he doesn't make him do the same drills repeatedly like Pete does. 

“You know, you're not bad at all. You didn't ever try to go pro?” Zero asks once they're done with the session. Chances are coaches of pro basketball teams were the ones that didn't quite make the cut but sometimes there are exceptions. 

“Played college ball,” German says over his shoulder as he gathers up his notes. “Busted my knee.”

“Tough break. You did well to land this job, though. Pete must rate you highly.”

German clears his throat abruptly. “Guess I did, and I'm not so sure about that. I  _ did  _ date his daughter after all.”

Zero uses his towel to wipe at his forehead before he answers. “By that logic, I have a _good_ shot at being Captain. Or, I would if the boss man was anyone other than Oscar.”

German nods slowly. “Right, you're with Jude. The PT. That's dope. He's a...good guy.”

There's an uncomfortable silence as Zero lets the words hang in the air. He's not sure why but his mind is stick on the way German hesitated during his answer. 

Before he can say anything else, German makes his excuses and leaves in a hurry. Zero frowns at his retreating figure briefly before he shrugs it off and pulls off his jersey. 

~

Jude’s waiting by the door when Zero reaches the house. His usually passive face is pink with excitement and Zero hopes that nothing too crazy is happening. 

He's exhausted. 

“I heard you pull up.” Jude explains when Zero raises an eyebrow in question. “I have something big to tell you.”

“Let me guess, you're finally going to let me send you to my spray tan girl?”

Jude pulls a face. “Not in this lifetime. And no, it's about Jelena and Terrence. They obviously started that rumour about you and Olivia and I know a way that we can get back at them.”

Zero scratches the back of his neck slowly before hanging up his jacket. He's not sure about any kind of retaliation; it's barely crossed his mind which is weird. Usually, he's all over a well thought out revenge plan. 

This time, he's more concerned with just being a good person. 

Still, he has to hear Jude out. 

“Can I grab a glass of water before you tell me your cunning plan?”

Jude rolls his eyes but he leads the way to kitchen and hastily fills up a glass with water. 

“Here.” 

“Thanks, Betty Crocker,” Zero says, sitting down at the table. His tired muscles are start

starting to ache from all of the extra drills and he wants nothing more than to sit in the jacuzzi for an hour. 

“Terrence got another woman pregnant.”

Zero spits out the water in his mouth.

“Another woman?” He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “As in someone that isn't Jelena?” 

Jude hands him a napkin, his nod emphatic and full of conviction. “Yep. And while I don't usually condone such things, I might have stood by while Lionel leaked the information to the press.”

If Zero wasn't so tired he'd probably leap across the table right now. 

Forget being a good person; watching Jelena worm her way out of this is going to be so much better. 

“Why would you do that?” he asks Jude instead. “I know that Jelena started that whole shit storm, but you're usually the bigger person.”

Jude’s eyes soften and he reaches out to take Zero's hand. “I did it for  _ you _ . You're... always going to be a bit of an enigma to me. Sometimes it seems like you really don't care what people think, but other times... It's clear that you do. And that's okay. Either way, I'm  _ always _ going to have your back. They mess with us. We mess with them.”

Zero laughs gently, raising Jude's hand up and pressing a soft kiss just below his knuckles. “Damn right.” 

-XIV-

Two weeks after the news of that Terrence knocked up another woman spread like wildfire, Zero finds himself walking into a Happy Valley, a luxury country club for Terrence and Jelena's hastily arranged wedding. 

He's no marriage expert, but the fact that they're: a) getting married so soon after the leak. b) getting married in a place that sounds like a _brothel_ and c) currently embroiled in a bitter Twitter feud with Terrence's future baby momma doesn't bode well. 

None of those facts are lost on Mieke, who rounds them up and gives them a speech on how to behave. 

“The potential for drama is high, so just keep together. Avoid talking to the press. Avoid Jelena. Don't drink too much. Stay away from anything that Jelena tries to hand you personally.”

Zero glances at Mieke when she's done talking. “If Jelena wanted to poison us, she wouldn't do it here. There'd be too many potential life savers.”

Mieke rolls her eyes and lets out a frustrated huff. “Do you have a witty comeback for  _ everything _ ?”

Laura pokes her head in between them and says, “You think it's bad? Try  _ living _ with him?’

Mieke grimaces. “No, thank you.”

Jude and Lionel appear shortly after Mieke leaves to take her seat. They're all seated in the third row, probably because the majority of the team are near the front. Zero still takes the time to wink at Terrence when he looks in their direction. 

It's a pity that Laura is stationed between him and Jude, Zero's just going to have to save his witty comments for later.

Laura nudges him and says, “By the way, I wanted to buy a gift but Clive said we already had one. He just wouldn't tell me what it was.”

Zero wraps an arm around Laura's shoulders and grins at Jude. “All in good time, sis, all in good time.”

Jude snorts. “He got them a crib. A really expensive one. The world's tackiest crib. It's red, black and had the Devils logo all over it.”

As far as Zero is concerned he, it's a very thoughtful gift. Only the best for Terrence Wall's kid. 

Laura shakes her head at him. “You are so pretty, brother.”

She's distracted by her phone before Zero can reply, looking up seconds later to say, “Clive wants us to bring him a plate.”

Lionel raises an eyebrow. “Does that man ever stop thinking about food?”

~

The wedding goes forward without any hitches, even though Zero is tempted halfway through the ceremony. It turns out that declining to  _ forever hold your peace _ is only an option in the movies. 

The reception follows afterwards and Zero finds himself sharing a table with Laura, Lionel and Jude. Mieke is sitting with German and the other coaches, while Derek is fawning over Ahsha on one of the front tables. 

“Our wedding is going to be way better than this,” Zero murmurs in Jude's ear. They haven't really discussed the conversation that they had, but it's a given. Anything Jelena can do, Zero can do better. 

Jude pulls a face. “I was hoping for something small.”

Zero shifts back in his seat and answers in his normal tone. “Small can be better.” 

“Speak for yourself,” Laura replies airily, like she doesn't even care what they're talking about. She pops a piece of salmon into her mouth and has the nerve to sit there innocently while Zero glares at her.

“I'm going to pretend that you're talking about something else.”

Lionel wipes at her mouth with a napkin. “It's too late for you to become a prude, Zero.”

Jude laughs and leans over to kiss him, lingering a touch too long when they pull apart.  He's been handsy all throughout the day. Stroking Zero's hands, thumbing the base of his neck, slow kisses when he thinks that no one is looking. Laura's been grumbling about it, but he can see the small smile on her face whenever she looks at them.

It's almost like they've weathered the storm.

The sound of  _ Secrets _ by The Weeknd filters through the grand hall and Zero can't shake the weird sensation that suddenly crawls up his spine. 

This moment is almost too serene, too perfect. 

It's like there something he's missing. 

Some piece of the puzzle that got trapped under the couch and he doesn't even know it's there. 

~

The clue comes in the form of Jelena, who catches up with him at the bar. He's up there to order a strawberry daiquiri for Jude and tequila shots for Lionel. It's a crying shame that the team have a game in two days; Zero would really love to take advantage of the open bar.

“You know, you're not as clever as you think you are,” she says, looking particularly devious in her all white dress. 

Zero wonders why she didn't break tradition and wear black and red; it would have suited her  _ perfectly. _

“Congratulations, by the way,” he retorts slowly, taking care to eye her up and down “Nice ceremony. I hope that you and Terrence have a very happy life together.”

Jelena smiles widely, although it doesn't reach her eyes. “It's all thanks to you. Terrence thought this was the best way to make things up to me.”

She holds up her hand and her diamond encrusted wedding band glints in the light; it's a hefty halo style 18 carat ring that looks like it easily costs two million dollars or more.

Zero's smile falls off his face because  _ damn.  _ If he was Terrence he would have gone with a rental car, or a Malibu beach house. 

Much cheaper than an extravagant wedding that'll only end in tears. And hey, the house would at least  _ appreciate  _ in value. 

He decides to play dumb. “I don't know why you're talking about. Why would it be down to me?”

“I know it was you that leaked his baby drama,” she says, with nothing but contempt in her alluring green eyes.

“I know it was you that leaked that absurd rumour about Olivia,” Zero retorts, casting a quick eye over the guests to make sure that nobody is watching them. “I guess this makes us even.”

He knows as he says if that there's no such thing as them being even. People like Jelena play but their own messed up rules. 

Zero's still not sure why they seem to rile each other up so much. 

Sure, they dated briefly but it was a long time ago. He got some great sex and star status out of it. He's not sure why she's always been so bent out of shape about what they were. 

“You messed up when you went after Terrence,” Jelena says. “I'm not going to let that slide.”

For some reason an inner voice that sounds suspiciously like Mieke tells Zero to  _ deny everything.  _ “I still have no idea what you're talking about. You can't prove anything.”

“You're a man of the God. Which do you believe in, eye for an eye of turning the other cheek?”

Zero scoffs at her words and takes a sip of Jude's cocktail; he needs the alcohol right now. “I'm not going to answer that.”

“I'm an eye for an eye girl, myself,” she says, gathering her dress up as she prepares to make a move. “Tell Jude that I say hi. Whole you still can, of course.”

Before Zero can decipher what that means, there's a flurry of activity. A large group of policemen burst into the room, led by a mousy looking man in a cheap suit. Zero watches horror as they look in the direction of his table. He looks between Jude laughing at something Lionel is saying and the officers scanning the room. 

Without thinking, he starts to move, not caring enough to apologize to the numerous people that he bumps into. 

“Jude,” he calls just as he approaches the table. “ _ Jude _ . Let’s go. Now.”

Laura frowns up at him. “Gid, what’s wrong?”

“Jude, let’s just get out of here now,” Zero says, looking up quickly to see the officers two tables away. 

“I think  _ someone’s  _ had too much to drink,” Lionel says even as she’s chugging away at the tequila shot he practically threw in front of her. 

Zero ignores her, ignores  _ all  _ of them because they’re not his priority right now. 

Jude is. 

“ _ Jude _ .”

Jude finally stands up, brow furrowed as he says, “Alright, alright, I’m coming.”

They manage to take two steps before a loud voice brings them to a grinding halt. 

“Jude Kinkade?”

Jude turns, eyebrows raised expectantly. “Yes?”

“You’re under arrest for the murder of Olivia Vincent. Y ou have the right to remain silent.  Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning.”

Silence falls in the room as they cuff Jude and start to drag him out. Jude’s face is passive and he doesn’t argue; he doesn’t struggle. 

He doesn’t do anything that an innocent person would do. 

The craziest part is that Zero can’t move. He’s glued to the spot, stuck in time as Jude gets further and further away. 

Mieke appears by his side suddenly. “We’ll get a lawyer, Zero. Don’t worry.”

Zero doesn’t respond. He stands there for what feels like a lifetime before he eventually takes a seat and loosens his tie. 

“What the fuck just happened?” Laura asks quietly in the midst of the stunned silence. 

Zero wishes he could answer her but he  _ can't.  _

All he can do is sit here and hope that there's been a terrible mistake.

* * *

 

 

_...to be continued. :) _

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> ....sorry? In this instance, I might need you guys to remind me that I've left this on a cliffhanger so...comment if you dare :D


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